Every day in this country real estate agents show houses to potential buyers. Often the house being shown is otherwise empty or vacant, and the real estate agent is alone with the potential buyer. This circumstance puts the real estate agent in a vulnerable position in relation to the potential buyer or buyers. Indeed, there is an increasing number of reports about real estate agents being attacked by such potential buyers—usually in the house being shown.
There is hence a need for a personal alarm system to be worn or carried by real estate agents, which could also be used by others who want the additional safety, e.g., health care workers, social workers. In United Kingdom Patent No. GB222734A, Slater discloses an alarm system comprising a personal transmitting unit and a remote receiving unit with siren, to be placed in the user's vehicle. However, Slater's system does not anticipate a broader system (in which, for instance, the user's vehicle is not close to aid sources) and so is not useful in the instant situation.
In U.S. Patent application 2003/0231115, Stanners et al. disclose a personal alarm system comprising a personal transmitter and a transceiver. Stanners' system, however, is not self-contained. There is no ultimate receiver on the system and therefore no assurance that any distress signal sent from the transmitter will be received or heard at all. Also, Stanners' system is limited to one transmitter and one transceiver. It does not anticipate or allow for a broader system.